Let’s celebrate cheesecakes with this Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cheesecake! Earlier this week they topped a poll of Britain’s favourite teatime treats, beating the classic Victoria sponge to top spot. Soft, dreamy, silky vanilla and chocolate cheesecake is swirled together over a crispy biscuit base, with a slight kick of salt, and topped with a layer of fluffy, fresh cream and finely grated dark chocolate. This decadent, moreish and addictive dessert is remarkably easy to make and requires no baking – perfect in this hot weather!
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients and line the base of a 20cm/8in round, deep-sided cake tin with baking parchment.
Before starting, take the cream cheese out of the fridge to allow it to come to room temperature.
Make the base: before you start the base, place the dark chocolate for the cheesecake into a microwave safe bowl or jug. Blitz for 60 seconds in a microwave, then leave it for a couple of minutes. Stir well and if it is not completely melted, continue to blitz 15 seconds at a time and stir well after each blitz. Set on one side to cool whilst you make the base.
Put the digestive biscuits into a large plastic/freezer bag, crush with a rolling pin until the biscuits are fine crumbs. Alternatively, roughly break the biscuits and blitz in a food processor until they make fine crumbs.
Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan over a moderate heat. Take off the heat as soon as it has melted. Tip in the biscuit crumbs and salt, stir to mix thoroughly.
Press firmly and evenly into the base of the cake tin. Use the flat base of a glass or mug to create a level surface. Put in the fridge to solidify whilst you make the cheesecake.
Make the cheesecake: beat the cream cheese with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Pour in the cream, sour cream, icing sugar and half the vanilla and beat to mix. Remove just under half of the mixture into another bowl. Beat the remaining vanilla into the larger half until thoroughly mixed. The mixture should easily hold its shape.
Pour the cooled, melted chocolate into the smaller half and whisk until thoroughly mixed and thickened.
Remove the base from the fridge and alternately dollop over the vanilla and cheesecake mixes. Using a knife, chopstick or skewer, swirl the cheesecakes to mix and then level the top.
Top with Cream and Grated Chocolate: whip the fresh cream with an electric whisk until it reaches soft peaks. Spread the cream evenly over the top of the cheesecake and then finely grate over the chocolate. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, but preferably longer.
To release the cheesecake from the tin, heat a palate knife in boiling water, dry with a cloth and then slide around the edge of the cheesecake. Sit the cheesecake on a tin or mug to remove the outside of the baking tin. Use the baking parchment to help transfer to a serving plate.
Equipment:
Cream cheese:
It is important to take the cream cheese out of the fridge to come to room temperature – this will help prevent the melted chocolate solidifying when added to the cream cheese.